#Trending This Week - Quiet Luxury, The Forest Spa, Crookies, Personalized Video, And Shaking Up Packaged Tours
Issue 183 • March 26, 2024
Before you take off for Spring Break, we hope you’ll give a quick read to what’s going on in travel and hospitality this week. QUIET LUXURY is the new philosophy in ultra luxury travel as the top one percenters are foregoing the glitz and glamor of jet set locations and instead pursuing the ultimate vacation opportunities in more discreet locations. TRAVEL MARKETING is entering a new era as we recognize email marketing and social media may not always cut through the clutter. Delivering personalized videos to potential guests or travelers mentioning their name and curated activities they can enjoy may actually be more effective. While many may think the era of the PACKAGED TOUR has come and gone, the reality is there is still a call for them when done the right way. Many travelers today want to journey solo, yet meet up with like-minded companions and tour operators who can design these more bespoke itineraries may be in it for the win. If you recall, there was a time we thought river cruising was passé, but it’s been having a big moment in recent years. Never one to overlook food, the CROOKIE is the latest French important New Yorkers are clamoring over. And WELLNESS continues to evolve and reinvent itself and this time we applaud its newest entry: the Forest Spa. Check it all out in our three-minute read below.
Quiet Luxury Over See And Be Seen
Big ticket travel experiences like heli-skiing in Antarctica, a polar bear safari in Norway, or tracking snow leopards in the Himalayas are now the preferred vacations of the top 1%. Stealth wealth is spilling into the travel industry, as one-percenters are increasingly forgoing glitzy see-and-be-seen destinations for more discreet getaways. Read more at CNBC here.
Personalized Video Is The Next Big Thing In Marketing
Marketing strategies today are changing faster than the Instagram stories on your feed. What may have worked a few years ago is not hitting as effectively, and many in the hospitality industry are wondering how to set themselves apart. Cold emails are becoming less and less effective as it’s hard to engage with consumers who are flooded by emails promoting sales, discounts, and other content. Does having the guest’s name on the TV screen when they arrive in their room really have impact anymore? But imagine a video made especially for each guest, welcoming them and sharing personalized recommendations for their stay…. Read more at PhocusWire here.
Shaking Up The Packaged Tour Industry
Clearly one type of travel package does not suit all. It's time to rethink traditional package tours by offering itineraries that cater to individual needs and preferences, and also facilitate real connections with local cultures, customs, cuisine and communities. One such tour operator heeding the call is launching small-group solo tours for women created and led by women and appealing to the trend of people who want to travel solo, yet meet like-minded companions. Read more in PhocusWire here and Travel Weekly here.
Have You Heard About The Crookie?
First we had the cronut, but now the crookie is taking over. Yes, you read that right, it’s a combination of a croissant and a cookie and it’s become the new must-have French pastry mash-up in New York City. The ooey, gooey croissant-cookie hybrid only recently hopped across the pond straight from France. Read more in The New York Post here.
The Forest Spa Has Arrived
Wellness has reached an entirely new level as Europe welcomed its first forest spa and nature hotel in Austria. The waldSPA at the Forsthofgut Spa Hotel offers a wellness vacation with the power of the forest and the goal to feel nature. Read more in European Spa here.